With 2009's Star Trek, JJ Abrams' revitalized a franchise that had been waning for a few years, creating something palatable for someone who wouldn't know their Tribbles from their Borg and wants a bit more action with their exploration of the galaxy, while also preserving the decades of history for existing fans. The alternate timeline he created was the perfect device for rebooting the franchise, spinning existing stories in new and interesting directions, and he returns to tell the new voyages of the Starship Enterprise with Star Trek Into Darkness, which, like any good sequel, turns everything that came before all the way up to 11.
With much of the universe building and character development dealt with in the first film, STID hits the ground running, with a mission on a far off planet showing that Kirk (Chris Pine) still has an issue with authority and following orders. It's a great scene, really getting the blood pumping and has some great character moments from the cast, especially Zachary Quinto, who really feels comfortable in the skin of Spock. It doesn't take too long for the main story to kick into high gear, with a terrorist attack hitting close to home, sending the crew of the Enterprise on the hunt for John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), a Star fleet officer with a mysterious agenda.
From the aforementioned opening scene, it is clear Abrams' is attempting something bigger here (quite an odd thing to say, since how do you get bigger than destroying a planet?), and, for the most part, he succeeds. For all it's big ideas and bigger explosions, the first Star Trek is quite tame in comparison. Something always seems to be happening in this film, with the story (to paraphrase Ron Burgandy) escalating quickly, with very little time for the audience to catch their breath. For every scene of plot development, we get a scene of balls to the wall action, from aerial dog fights to brutal hand to hand combat. The action is handled perfectly, and looks absolutely beautiful in 3D. In fact, the 3D in this is some of the best I've seen, adding depth to everything from burning ash to the Enterprise's crowded bridge to really immerse the audience in the movie. And before you ask, yes, the lens flare returns. I will admit this technique does annoy me (I swear, sometimes it felt the lens flare had lens flare), it does give Abrams's Star Trek it's unique look, adding to the movies aesthetic.
When we finally meet John Harrison properly (which, admittedly, takes a bit too long), the story comes into it's own, mainly down to Cumberbatch being fantastic in the role. He exudes menace in every scene, but still makes the character slightly sympathetic. It's a trait he shares with Nero from the first film, his reasons for being the way he is are just (maybe a bit more so here), his actions not so much. But for all his good work, he can't stop the story from feeling bloated as it marches on. The pace slows down halfway through the second act, and it lacks the drive it had the movies opening hour. The script relays too much on foreshadowing, robbing events that unfold of any emotional heft, and the finale, with a mishandled call back to a classic scene from the earlier Star Trek movies, feels anti-climactic. Abrams also heavily drops a lot of fan service that proves to be very distracting. It was present in the first film, but was handled with a degree of tact. Here it is very in your face, and took me out of the movie several times.
Acting wise, it is hard to fault the cast. I have sung the praises of Cumberbatch, and Pine does a good job of keeping up with him, since the two share the most screen time. Kirk is the same brash, cocky character from the first movie, but he grows as the movie progresses, and Pine sells that perfectly. Quinto gets to do a lot more heavy lifting, character wise, this time around, making Spock quite the bad ass. The relationship between Spock and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) set up in the first movie, doesn't get much of look in here, amounting to a short scene of them bickering that is resolved far too easily. With the exception of Simon Pegg's Scotty, who gets a funny and satisfying sub-plot, the rest of the cast feel wasted. The Enterprise's crew do get one or two moments to themselves, but this really is Pine, Quinto, and Cumberbatch's show.
While not a perfect movie, Star Trek Into Darkness is very enjoyable, and definitely one voyage worth boarding the Enterprise for. Highly recommended.
With much of the universe building and character development dealt with in the first film, STID hits the ground running, with a mission on a far off planet showing that Kirk (Chris Pine) still has an issue with authority and following orders. It's a great scene, really getting the blood pumping and has some great character moments from the cast, especially Zachary Quinto, who really feels comfortable in the skin of Spock. It doesn't take too long for the main story to kick into high gear, with a terrorist attack hitting close to home, sending the crew of the Enterprise on the hunt for John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), a Star fleet officer with a mysterious agenda.
From the aforementioned opening scene, it is clear Abrams' is attempting something bigger here (quite an odd thing to say, since how do you get bigger than destroying a planet?), and, for the most part, he succeeds. For all it's big ideas and bigger explosions, the first Star Trek is quite tame in comparison. Something always seems to be happening in this film, with the story (to paraphrase Ron Burgandy) escalating quickly, with very little time for the audience to catch their breath. For every scene of plot development, we get a scene of balls to the wall action, from aerial dog fights to brutal hand to hand combat. The action is handled perfectly, and looks absolutely beautiful in 3D. In fact, the 3D in this is some of the best I've seen, adding depth to everything from burning ash to the Enterprise's crowded bridge to really immerse the audience in the movie. And before you ask, yes, the lens flare returns. I will admit this technique does annoy me (I swear, sometimes it felt the lens flare had lens flare), it does give Abrams's Star Trek it's unique look, adding to the movies aesthetic.
When we finally meet John Harrison properly (which, admittedly, takes a bit too long), the story comes into it's own, mainly down to Cumberbatch being fantastic in the role. He exudes menace in every scene, but still makes the character slightly sympathetic. It's a trait he shares with Nero from the first film, his reasons for being the way he is are just (maybe a bit more so here), his actions not so much. But for all his good work, he can't stop the story from feeling bloated as it marches on. The pace slows down halfway through the second act, and it lacks the drive it had the movies opening hour. The script relays too much on foreshadowing, robbing events that unfold of any emotional heft, and the finale, with a mishandled call back to a classic scene from the earlier Star Trek movies, feels anti-climactic. Abrams also heavily drops a lot of fan service that proves to be very distracting. It was present in the first film, but was handled with a degree of tact. Here it is very in your face, and took me out of the movie several times.
Acting wise, it is hard to fault the cast. I have sung the praises of Cumberbatch, and Pine does a good job of keeping up with him, since the two share the most screen time. Kirk is the same brash, cocky character from the first movie, but he grows as the movie progresses, and Pine sells that perfectly. Quinto gets to do a lot more heavy lifting, character wise, this time around, making Spock quite the bad ass. The relationship between Spock and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) set up in the first movie, doesn't get much of look in here, amounting to a short scene of them bickering that is resolved far too easily. With the exception of Simon Pegg's Scotty, who gets a funny and satisfying sub-plot, the rest of the cast feel wasted. The Enterprise's crew do get one or two moments to themselves, but this really is Pine, Quinto, and Cumberbatch's show.
While not a perfect movie, Star Trek Into Darkness is very enjoyable, and definitely one voyage worth boarding the Enterprise for. Highly recommended.
